Supreme Court Ends PRS/Gibson Lawsuit

Supreme Court Ends PRS/Gibson Lawsuit

June 6, 2006


Paul Reed Smith Guitars has announced that the United States Supreme Court today denied Gibson Guitar's final appeal of a Court of Appeals decision upholding PRS' right to make a single cutaway-style guitar.

When first introduced more than six years ago at the NAMM show, the PRS Singlecut® quickly captured the attention of artists and critics, winning awards for its design and quality. Gibson filed a suit in Nashville that asserted trademark infringement against its Les Paul guitar. After several years of litigation, the local federal district court judge initially sided with Gibson. That court ordered PRS to stop sales of its Singlecut®. Several companies joined PRS in urging the appellate court--the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit--to reverse the decision.

Last year, the Sixth Circuit ruled that an injunction should never have been issued by the lower court. The court observed that Gibson conceded that only "an idiot" would ever confuse a PRS Singlecut® and a Gibson Les Paul. Based on that concession and the overwhelming evidence, the Sixth Circuit found that Gibson's trademark case had no merit and summarily dismissed the suit. The Supreme Court's decision today leaves the Sixth Circuit opinion in place and ends Gibson's multi-year effort.

Paul Reed Smith, the company founder, stated: "Everyone was extremely supportive of our cause and our company over the last six years, fully embracing our decision to fight back against Gibson's charges." Smith added: "My thanks especially go to those in the industry who helped educate the court: the media, our industry peers, guitar craftsmen and industry scholars. Their help was invaluable."

What is happiness...

Happiness is as complicated as to learn to love yourself.

The Good...

Happiness comes within and to be fulfilled in one's own life is an everyday, day by day, inch by inch to make what makes you happy.

I play my guitar and it's what makes me happy. How far or good do I wanna be... Well that's my journey in life. I'm a performer/composer/guitarist and I have experience lots of love from people that are touched by my music. It did not happen over night and I've come along way to my high or happy place. Am I fulfilled?? Nope - very far from it and I still have my every day demons for me to deal with. Nothing worth having is ever easy. I went through struggles, mistakes, humiliation, hunger just to achieve my vision. I haven't even made the big times yet but it does not matter because I'm fulfilling myself in doing what I love to do.

I have this saying that I say almost everyday and I'm grateful... God... As long as my friends and family and there inner circle are healthy and doing well, everything else I can handle.

The Bad...

Unhappiness in the way we look can sometimes our biggest demon. The media feeds you through MTV, TV, radio, magazines and other force fed bull shit, to see what the norm is and we feel we don't fit in with trend, movie stars, and rock stars. Not to mention going through our golden years of being a child to adulthood. We become condition to be more afraid than to venture and experience. Most of the time we are told. No you can't do that, or that's impossible, no you are not good enough, you are too fat, short, ugly and I mean I can go on and on... So we start getting used too or mentally condition that we eventually believe that we can't do what we dream to do. Worst yet we get involved with the wrong crowd and sway ourselves into very dark places like drugs, alcoholism and waste precious years and sometimes we are in so deep that we never get out.

The Ugly... ahh the pill.. well not soo ugly....

Medication has come along way but it's not the answers to all of our problems either. Now I'm not talking about diseases or conditions that medication is a must. My mom takes medication that keeps her alive. Certain medication have done wonders while others have side effects that out weighted there promised good. I'm not savvy in this subject because I don't take any medication even for a headache. But what I can tell you is that 95% percent of my spam is about pills and commercials... Well you be the judge and I'll leave at that.